The Gulf's ecological balance and the fishing industry's impact on it remain a point of interest for conservationists and lawmakers alike. Shedding light on this complex issue, the LGL Ecological Research Associates have completed a detailed bycatch study of the menhaden commercial fishery, with their findings presented at the July Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission meeting. The study, initiated by directives from the Louisiana Legislature and funded up to $1M from the Artificial Reef Fund, has been keenly anticipated for its implications on the state's fishing regulations.
Commissioned by the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission through a rigorous Request for Proposal (RFP) process, the LGL Ecological Research Associates' research highlights several critical findings. Among them, mortality rates for Red Drum numbers have not deviated significantly from past estimates. Shockingly, weighing the Red Drum physically from the bycatch showed a greater total poundage of dead fish than previously understood. LGL's updated methods also resulted in spotting higher mortality rates for Spotted Seatrout compared to older data, as reported in their study available on the LDWF's website.
Although the total bycatch weight for the menhaden fishery exceeded previous estimates, it remains below the 5% state law threshold, calculated at about 3.6% for all species. A significant portion of retained catch involved species such as Atlantic Croaker and White Shrimp, which, along with four others, accounted for 89% of the total retained catch. Conversely, the most numerous in the released bycatch were species like Red Drum and Blacktip Sharks.
Tooling the industry with more accurate data, this report is set to refine LDWF's future stock assessments for various species. Analyzing removals, the dead bycatch from the menhaden fishery comprised 9.9% versus the 90.1% from directed fishery removals for Red Drum, which is a telling detail on the impact of incidental catch. Similarly, for Spotted Seatrout, the menhaden fishery's dead bycatch was a mere 2.7% of total removals.
